Fallen Marines remembered at Camp Pendleton

Sept. 28, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Marines pay their final respects Friday morning to each of the four 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines following a memorial ceremony on the landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. The Marines died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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As a large American flag flies in the background, Marines of the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines salute during a memorial ceremony Friday morning for four 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines that were honored at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. The Marines died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Marines place the helmets on rifles for the Battlefield Cross during a memorial ceremony Friday morning for four 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines that were honored at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. The Marines died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A Marine places his hand on the Battlefield Cross next to a flower following a memorial ceremony Friday morning for four 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines that were honored at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. The Marines died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Taps is played during a memorial ceremony Friday morning for four 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines that were honored at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. The Marines died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Marines pay their final respects Friday morning to each of the four 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines following a memorial ceremony on the landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. The Marines died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A bell is rung during Roll Call during a memorial ceremony Friday morning for four 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines that were honored at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. The Marines died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Families and friends visit the Battlefield Crosses of the fallen Marines during a memorial ceremony Friday morning for four 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines that were honored at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. The Marines died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Marines of the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines salute during a memorial ceremony Friday morning for four 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines that were honored at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. The Marines died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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The 1st marine Division Band plays during a memorial ceremony Friday morning for four 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines that were honored at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. The Marines died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Sergerant Wade Wilson of Webster, Texas, of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines was honored Friday morning at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. He died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Corporal Alex Martinez of Elgin, Illinois, of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines was honored Friday morning at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. He died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Corporal Anthony Servin of Riverside, of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines was honored Friday morning at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. He died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Lance Corporal Joshua Witman of Danville, Illinois, of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines was honored Friday morning at the 5th Marine Regiment landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. He died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Marines pay their final respects Friday morning to each of the four 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Marines following a memorial ceremony on the landing zone at Camp San Mateo on Camp Pendleton. The Marines died while in Helmand Province, Afghanistan earlier this year.MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

CAMP PENDLETON – A 30-by-50-foot American flag driven by wind coincidentally collapsed to a sort of half-staff during the final roll call for four Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines who died while deployed to Afghanistan.

The Marines were remembered Friday with battlefield crosses — four helmets placed on four rifles with four sets of combat boots, each standing in front if a photo of the fallen Marines. Formations of about 1100 Marines and Sailors stood behind them. The ceremony took place on the 5th Marine Regiment helicopter landing zone at the Marine base.

"To the families of the fallen heroes, you honor us with your presence," Lt. Col. Jason Perry, the battalion's commanding officer, said. "You are here as part of the battalion family. Your sons and husbands have taken place next to those we owe an eternal debt of gratitude."

"Each Marine enlists with the anticipation of going into harms way," Perry added. "Three were on a second deployment; they were fierce warriors and loyal friends."

The battalion returned in five waves this month. A final group of 65 Marines returned on Tuesday.

The group was part of Regimental Combat Team 6. It served as the ground combat element of Regional Command and worked in partnership with the Afghan National Security Force and that country's government to conduct counterinsurgency operations, said the group's second-in-command Maj. George Hasseltine.

The unit was tasked with securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and enabling ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the expansion of stability, Hasseltine said.

Hasseltine said the battalion encountered lots of IED and gun fights. They operated in a large area of the Northern Helmand Province that hasn't seen a lot of NATO presence, he said.

"We pushed the Taliban further back," he said. "We got into Zamindawar, a pivotal area to expand operations. We pushed them back for 17 days straight and did follow-up operations to keep them out."

The 2/5 was adopted by the city of Rancho Santa Margarita in January 2007. Since then, resident volunteers, in conjunction with Rancho Santa Margarita-based Operation Help A Hero, have worked to support the battalion. Other community groups including the Bell Tower Foundation and several teen groups from local high schools joined in to help. As part of Operation Help A Hero, volunteers from all over helped collect items for the Marines through Operation Rack Pack.

Cpl. Juan Servin, 21, now a Marine based at Camp LeJeune in Jacksonville, N.C., said he joined the Corps because of his brother, Anthony.

"Anything he did, I did," Servin, of Riverside, said. "We were nine months apart. He was my role model."

Juan Servin said his brother joined the Marine Corps for the respect it gave him.

"Our friends are still all doing the same thing," Juan Servin said. "For us we got to travel the world and do something for our country."

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